SPORTS TALK. OTHER VIEWS THE READERS HAVE THEIR SAY.

DePaul errs again

April 28, 2002|By Tom Stanton.

CHICAGO — Who is Dave Leitao? I consider myself a very well-informed college basketball fan, and until Leitao entered the DePaul debacle a few weeks back, I'd never heard of him. So does DePaul really expect that the 17- and 18-year-old Midwestern recruits he'll be courting have heard of him? The man has zero name recognition.

With all the young coaching talent out there, DePaul waited six weeks for this guy? A guy with absolutely no ties to the Chicago area, who in his only two years of head-coaching experience managed to run the Northeastern program further into the ground? Really, what do DePaul and Bill Bradshaw find so attractive in this guy's background? That he's a top-notch recruiter? So was Pat Kennedy. If anything, I feel sorry for Leitao, as he is getting himself into a no-win situation.

This is Bradshaw's second straight hiring of an East Coast coach. Clearly he has put his own East Coast pedigree and bias ahead of the best interests of DePaul. From the beginning, his coaching search lacked any hint of direction, as does the basketball program as a whole. The top candidates, who couldn't repel DePaul's overtures fast enough, knew it. It is apparent that DePaul has made the decision to operate its basketball program on a smaller, more midsized level. I have no problem with that. But matching that blueprint with the hiring of a coach who has no local ties and who speaks of his prowess in nationwide recruiting battles makes absolutely no sense. If the administration is ready/comfortable to operate the basketball program in the reduced limelight of the midmajor role with a less high-profile coach, why not hire a trusted, hardworking coach who is well respected and well liked in Chicago, Doug Bruno?

For all of my disappointment and disillusionment, I should not be surprised. DePaul has been a program with no direction for some time. Beyond the firing of Jerry Krause, the only canning that will bring me more satisfaction is that of Bill Bradshaw. And that day is coming soon.